Expecto Patronum
by S.S. Marauder
Summary: When James realises that Lily's in the common room at 3.a.m. trying to learn to cast a Patronus, he decides to lend his girlfriend a hand. Jily one shot. Fluff.


With the N.E.W.T. exams fast approaching, the professors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry were piling on the work and with the war against Voldemort raging beyond the castle walls, the teachers seemed to believe it was more important than ever for their students to succeed in their lessons.

One of the many tasks the 7th year students had received was mastering the Patronus Charm, used to repel dementors, before the end of the month. They would then be required to go before the class and perform the charm successfully, or receive a failing grade.

This was why Lily Evans was currently standing in the middle of the deserted Gryffindor common room at 3am, much to her boyfriend James Potter's displeasure.

"Your not going to get it by stressing, love." James told her when she let out a growl of frustration after receiving only silvery whisp, _again._ Lily jumped, not realising James was leaning against the wall behind her and watching as she tried to master the difficult spell.

"What are you doing down here?" she asked, glancing at the clock.

"Figured you might want some help." James shrugged. He hated the thought of her getting worked up over the spell.

"You've already learnt it?" Lily asked James curiously. She wasn't really that surprised, she knew her boyfriend was a talented wizard, _he was a bloody animagus for Godric's sake_ , and she appreciated he was willing to help her.

James nodded, "the lads and I learnt it last year." he told her, as if learning an extremely difficult spell a year early was of no importance.

"Is it a stag?" Lily asked excitedly, thinking of his animagus form, her frustration temporarily forgotten.

James nodded and with a flick of his wand and a muttered incantation, a large silver stag appeared before him.

Lily watched it in awe as it began to circle the room, and couldn't help but smile as she admired it before it disappeared.

She had been so enraptured by the Patronus she hadn't noticed James coming up behind her until his strong arms wrapped around her waist from behind and his chest pressed against her back.

She sighed contentedly as she leaned against his strong form and he rested his chin on her head.

"You need a stronger memory." he murmured.

"I've tried loads of them. This one was the one that worked best." She told him irratadely.

"What were you thinking about?" James asked her curiously.

Lily swallowed before quietly telling him, "Making snowmen with my parents when I was younger. My dad started a snowball fight."

James' grip tightened on her as he held her closer against him. "I'm sorry love." He knew Lily had been close to her parents, despite being in school most of the year. It had been difficult for her when they both passed away last year in a car accident.

They were both lost in their own thoughts for a moment, and James was slightly surprised when Lily spoke again.

"Do you think I should try another memory?"

"Give it a go, it's worth a shot." James encouraged.

Lily thought hard for a moment. She knew her childhood memories wouldn't work because no matter how happy they were, they were all tarnished. She couldn't think of Petunia without hearing the word _Freak_ , she couldn't think of Severus without hearing the word _Mudblood_. Her parents deaths were still too raw she realised, so any memories with them were overshadowed by their passing.

She thought of her time at Hogwarts, all the new friends she had made who stuck by her through everything.

"It's not just the memories that matter, it's the feeling they give you." James told her.

She thought of laying by the lake with Mary MacDonald as they chatted about everything and anything for hours. She thought about standing in the Quiditch stands with Marlene McKinnon and cheering wildly for Gryffindor. She thought about playing chess in front of the fire in the common room at 2 in the morning with Sirius Black. She thought about reading with Remus Lupin and discussing all their favourite books. She thought about tutoring Peter Pettigrew so he could keep up in all his classes.

James flicked his wrist and muttered the spell again and once more his stag appeared. "Concentrate on how these memories make you feel." He told her. She looked at the beautiful stag circling the common room and thought of James Potter.

She thought of the time he had spilled frog spawn on her in first year potions so she had spilled his cauldron on the floor and they had gotten detention. They had ended up throwing all sorts of various ingredients at each other and it developed into a full on war. They had both collapsed on the floor of the potions classroom they were supposed to be cleaning covered in all sorts of goo and had laughed themselves horse. It had been her very first detention.

She remembered becoming friends with him in 6th year and slowly him becoming one of the most important people in her life. She remembered him holding her after her parents died and promising her that he'd always be there for her. She remembered pushing him into the black lake and all her friends ending up going for a swim. She remembered him running through the corridors with her on his back just because. She remembered him and Sirius getting drunk and trying to serenade her. She remembered when he asked her out at the beginning of 7th year and he'd been such a nervous, adorable idiot she knew he was completely genuine. She remembered going to Hogsmede and kissing him for the very first time on the way back to Hogwarts after the best date she could have imagined. She remembered sneaking out to explore the forbidden forest together or going up to the astronomy tower to watch the sunset. She remembered the first time he told her he loved her, and the first time she said it back. She remembered how much she meant it. How this idiotic, amazing, incredible boy made her feel like she was the only person in the world and she could be anything she wanted.

James removed one hand from her waist to hold her wand with her. "We'll say it together." he told her.

Lily looked at the stag still circling the common room and thought about all the people who made her happy, but mostly of James, who made her who she was.

They moved her wand together, James guiding her hand in theflicking motion.

 _"Expecto Patronum"_

From the end of Lily's wand a four legged shape appeared and it took her a moment to realise what it was. She heard James gasp as he too realised what the shape was.

"A doe." he said.

"A doe and a stag." she told him.

She watched in fascination as the doe and stag approached each other and began circling each other before they seemed to embrace.

She turned around in James' arms to face him and she was sure the wide grin on his face reflected hers.

"It seems fitting." she told him as he rested his forehead against hers.

"Yes, it does." he agreed as he leant down to kiss her.

When Lily was asked to perform her Patronus in front of the class, she met James' gaze before remembering all the memories, all the people, who made her happy.

It was no surprise she got full marks because really, it wasn't just about the memory, it was how the memory made you feel, and he made her feel _right._

He made her feel like she could cast a million Patronus' any time she wanted.


End file.
